Prayer opens our understanding of the Scriptures to a point where scientific healing power may be demonstrated. "Prayer" is the title of the opening chapter of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy. One of the many arresting statements appearing in this chapter reads (p. 16): "The highest prayer is not one of faith merely; it is demonstration. Such prayer heals sickness, and must destroy sin and death."
Prayer is sometimes regarded as being too speculative for practical usage. Actually, however, the only thing speculative about prayer is in the thought of those who hold such a viewpoint. Christian Scientists know prayer to be of positive benefit, and they are proving daily the truth of James' words in his epistle (5:16), "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." All Christian Science healings are accomplished through scientific prayer.
But what is the specific nature of scientific prayer? Briefly stated, it is a spiritually inspired state of thought wherein divine ideas of Truth become humanly available. As these ideas become active in human consciousness, they heal, and they bring an inward satisfaction not to be found through ceremonial splendor or mere dogmatic repetition of words.
True prayer is entirely mental. Therefore the healing possibilities it affords lie well within the reach of everyone. The healing power of prayer can no more be reserved for those of certain religious affiliation or position than mathematical processes can be limited to a few university professors. Anyone who can think can pray, and pray aright—with understanding and success. Mrs. Eddy assures us of this fact in Science and Health where she writes (pp. 12, 13), "In divine Science, where prayers are mental, all may avail themselves of God as 'a very present help in trouble.'"
It is true that everyone may obtain God's help through prayer. But, as in any other field of endeavor, prayer requires the right approach. The objective in prayer is to unify our thought with God, divine Truth. If we try to pray with a purely material objective, we are defeating our purpose. Physical healings are secondary results, not primary objectives; that is, they come as a natural consequence of attaining our objective, the discernment of spiritual truth.
Making Truth the supreme object of desire and endeavor prepares us for successful demonstrations of healing prayer. It is the nature of Truth to reveal itself to those who seek it; and it is the nature of error to disappear in the presence of Truth. Christ Jesus outlined the orderly unfoldment of all healing prayer when he said (John 8:31, 32), "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
Christian Science fulfills the Master's concept of healing prayer by revealing the spiritual facts as to our true being. This Science teaches that God is Love, good; that He is the only Parent, the only cause or creator; and that man is His spiritual image and likeness. Meditation upon these spiritual truths and realization of their presence constitute healing prayer. The revelation of our true, spiritual identity as sons of God is the coming of the Christ, which dispels every discordant belief.
"Well," one may say, "that sounds plausible enough for those who have only a belief to contend with, but my problem is physical. How could such prayer help me?" This line of reasoning might be compared with that of a small child, who, upon making a numerical mistake involving oranges, deduced that the difficulty must lie in the oranges. Problems are never physical, even though they may seem to be. Christian Science shows the material body to be the visible aspect of human consciousness. Because effect is always governed by its cause, the body corresponds to the character of the thought that one is entertaining. So-called physical healing through prayer makes its appearance mentally before it is manifested in the body.
Prayer heals by spiritualizing thought. The entire procedure is illustrated by the solving of a mathematical problem. In the process of healing we turn to truths that have always existed and obtain freedom from errors that have never existed. The real man has always been perfect and immortal. He has never been sinful, diseased, or mortal. Man reflects God in every quality—in health, abundance, capability, and durability. Lack, disease, sin, and death are neither manlike nor Godlike; they are mortal illusions. Like numerical mistakes, they have no basis in fact and cease even to appear as illusions once their nothingness is recognized.
Righteous prayer is synonymous with Christian Science treatment. The healing effect it produces is explained simply and logically in Science and Health where Mrs. Eddy writes (Pref., p. xi), "The physical healing of Christian Science results now, as in Jesus' time, from the operation of divine Principle, before which sin and disease lose their reality in human consciousness and disappear as naturally and as necessarily as darkness gives place to light and sin to reformation."
Effective prayer derives its healing potency from Truth, which it invokes. Divine Truth acts as an irrepressible law of extinction to all error. Whether a specific error has been of long duration or short is of no importance, nor is the magnitude of its individual claim of any consequence. All errors are equally subject to the law of Truth. And does this seem surprising? Are not mathematical truths as applicable to elephants as they are to pencils?
We are never faced with a problem so difficult that it cannot be healed through prayer. No matter how dark a situation may appear, we can always turn to God in prayer with confident expectancy. Christ Jesus said (Matt. 7:7, 8), "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."
Does our human experience seem clouded with moments of doubt and discouragement? If so, let us give frequent pause to the Master's promise. It will quicken our faith in prayer and strengthen our trust in its healing power.
